Shropshire community hall awarded £10,000 grant
A Shropshire community hall which is having much-needed improvements to make it more accessible and widen its use to local people of all ages has been awarded a £10,000 grant.
Delighted volunteers who run Silver Threads Hall in Donnington will use the grant from The Midcounties Co-operative Community Fund for the next phase of refurbishment which includes installing disabled toilets, nappy changing facilities and providing a safe floor cover for the crèche.
Fundraiser Rose Gregory said: “It is fantastic to be awarded such a significant sum and we are very grateful to Midcounties for its support. It means a lot to our community.
“The hall dates from the 1930s/40s and its refurbishment is a long term project. The building hosts local groups, is available for private functions and is used by a couple of hundred people a week, from mothers and toddlers to older people. By increasing its facilities and making it more user-friendly, we will ensure its appeal to a wider number of people.
“One of our plans is to provide a cooker which can be used by youth workers to help young people to learn to cook for themselves and to prepare healthy meals on a budget.”
Maxine Sharman, Head of Community Engagement at Midcounties, added: “As a member-owned retailer with strong community links we are delighted to help this local project in this the International Year of the Co-operatives. The fund is for grass roots groups to help them to make a difference.”
The £2 million fund was created from dormant share accounts together with Government-matched funding. The money is being put to great use to benefit those that need it most, with more than £100,000 being distributed to support 47 groups in the Society’s trading heartlands in the latest round of grant giving.
The fund makes grants twice a year working in partnership with nine Community Foundations covering the areas where Midcounties trades - The Black Country, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Swindon, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.
The next round of applications opens in January. For more details and the criteria visit the community section on www.midcounties.coop.
